There’s no denying the fact that your website represents your business. More often than not, your business website is the first exposure many potential consumers are going to have to your business. Hence, it is of paramount importance for you to ensure that your website has all the essential components necessary for captivating and retaining visitors. In the digital era we live in, it is imperative for you to maintain a strong online presence and have a great website.

However, you should be aware that simply having an online presence just isn’t good enough. Your website is not only an extension of your brand, it is your brand! You must ensure that your website not only looks appealing, but it also seems a cut above the rest when compared to other business websites. Now, the question arises—what are some of the features that can help catapult your business website to new heights? Well, without beating about the bush any further, here are 5 extra features your website needs:

Focus on smartphones and mobile devices

The number of users who access websites only through smartphones and other mobile devices grows with each passing day. To be honest, consumers simply don’t have the time to sit at a desktop anymore. Hence, you must follow the crowd and ensure that your website is capable of performing exceptionally well on a wide range of devices and browsers. When creating a website for your business, we would strongly recommend you first choose how it appears on a smartphone before selecting how it appears on traditional desktops and laptops. Hence, you need to build a website for simple, small screen interface with less navigation and less design overhead. You should particularly focus on the quality of your content.

Your website must have excellent customer service options

Have you ever heard of the phrase, “The customer is always right?” Well, the phrase rings true in this day and age too. You are simply nothing without your customers. Hence, it is necessary for you to make sure that they can contact you for whatever reason at all times. Of course, customers self-serve to a certain point, but if you offer a complicated product, they will require assistance and need more information on the product. If there is no way they can contact you, they will immediately run away. However, if you offer features such as chat, co-browsing options and reply promptly, they will be impressed with the customer service and come back for more.

Say no to purchasing stock photo plans

Of course, it is less hectic and far more convenient to buy stock photo plans for your website. However, if you want to break away from the noise and stand out, you should consider hiring the services of an illustrator or a photographer that expertly grasps the essence of your brand. Doing so will also enable you to control brand elements. Thus, you will no longer have to rely on a pool of generic icons and photos.

Ensure that your website is easy to navigate

If you want your website to have a low bounce rate, we would advise you to ensure that your website is easy to navigate. The longer the customers stay on your site, the lower the bounce rate. If you want to keep your customers hooked, it is essential for you to supply the customers with a clear path through which they can access any information they are seeking. Even something as simple as incorporating a search bar at the top of the site on every page can prove to be a stroke of sheer genius.

Use analytics tools to your advantage

As we mentioned earlier, simply having an online presence isn’t good enough. If you want to expand your business, you will have to deploy several strategies to know your customers better. You will need to know who your customers and visitors are and what they are interested in. Through analytics tools such as Google Analytics, you will be able to know if most of your visitors are new or returning, if they use their smartphones to access your site or if they use desktops. You will also know the most and least popular pages on your site. With all this valuable information at your disposal, you will be able to refine and update your marketing strategy. In the end, you will be able to provide an online experience that resonates with your visitors.